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Do you realize that the Steelers could be drafting as high as...

..7th overall this next draft? Yep. Technically it could be as high as 3rd overall but that would require Oakland, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Carolina to run the table. Not possible. But between picks 32 and 7 only Denver and Cincinnati have a lower opponent winning percentage.

I expect more realistically the Steelers will be drafting in the #14 to #18 range. This weekend is a guaranteed loss so that makes us 6-6. The best we can hope for is 9-7, but 8-8 is very possible. The Browns game was a must win and we blew it. Injuries just torpedoed the season...it happens sometimes. No team can lose a QB of Ben's caliber for 3-4 games and expect to compete.

I expect more realistically the Steelers will be drafting in the #14 to #18 range. This weekend is a guaranteed loss so that makes us 6-6. The best we can hope for is 9-7, but 8-8 is very possible. The Browns game was a must win and we blew it. Injuries just torpedoed the season...it happens sometimes. No team can lose a QB of Ben's caliber for 3-4 games and expect to compete.

I hate to say this Dee Dub but I was thinking the same thing weeks ago. With the injuries, the losses to AFC teams and especially to the Browns and Ravens, our Steelers just don't have it this season. I'm not saying throw the games but, it won't bother me if we get a very to very high draft pick this season. The only way these scrub team can get a better record than the Steelers at this point, they would need to play the Steelers to insure their chances of winning.

Has it come to this Steeler Nation? The team isn't even eliminated from the playoffs yet despite all the adversity. I guess I'm not thinking about next season or the draft or combine or any of that until this years body of work is complete and honest assessments can be made based on the whole of the year.

I still think this team finishes 10-6 and goes on to beat New England and Houston in the playoffs. Just coming up a bit short because we have to make a return trip to Denver and the team has to play without Ryan Clark. Ryan Mundy makes another nightmare mistake, except this time it's against Peyton. Ben makes a comeback attempt in the last two minutes but comes up just short as he runs out of time. This team can make a serious run if they are healthy and I'm holding out hope that we can get some of those difference makers back that we are sorely missing. I can't say I'm completely upset with Troy being out as long as he has because, if he does make it back on the field, he will be fresh. Plus, after the way we watched Ben finish last year it will be nice to see him playing on good legs and making plays in December and January.

Now saying all that, I can't say I would be completely upset if we have higher draft picks either. This team is gutted to some extent depth wise and will probably continue to go through transitions in 2013. Being 20-30 million over the cap going into the start of 2013 Football Year, I would expect that this team is going to be stripping more veterans as we go. Is this team going to be able to sign the Wallace's, Miller's, and Lewis's of the world. Well they better find a way to keep at least two of those guys. Starks, Harrison, Foote, Mendenhall and Redman may walk out the door as well. There is going to be major turnover and it will take a bit to fill those holes. Having the higher draft picks would help the team fill those emptied positions with a higher quality player and give the team a stronger foot hold going into the future.

Overall, I want to see the team compete and as a fan I fully expect them to as I said in the first paragraph. As a logical long term thinker and fan, a down year would not be a bad thing considering the thin line this team is walking going into the future. It would be nice to add a top 10-15 player.